A Change Worth Knowing About

If you have a child heading toward Nursery or Foundation Stage in Dubai, you may have already seen the news: the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has updated the age cut-off date used to place children in FS1 and FS2, starting with the 2026-27 academic year. The change was approved by the UAE’s Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council in December 2025, and KHDA has since issued detailed guidance to schools and early childhood centres. So what does that mean for your child, what age should they start school in Dubai? 

At Great Minds ECC, we know changes like this can raise a lot of questions for families who are planning ahead. Here’s an easy breakdown of what’s changing, who it affects, and what it means if you’re considering a place for your child with us.

What’s Actually Changing

Previously, children needed to reach the required age by August 31 to be placed in a given year group. From the 2026-27 academic year, that cut-off moves to December 31 for nurseries and schools whose academic year begins in September. (Institutions that begin their year in April will continue to use March 31 as their cut-off.)

Who This Affects — and Who It Doesn’t

This is the part that causes the most confusion

• Children already enrolled in a Dubai nursery or school will continue their natural year progression. The new cut-off does not apply to them.
• The updated rule applies to children being registered with KHDA for the first time during 2026-27 — including new nursery starters.
• A one-time transitional allowance applies to children born between September 1 and December 31, 2022, who are not currently enrolled anywhere. For this group only, parents and the nursery or school can jointly decide whether FS1 or FS2 is the more suitable starting point, based on the child’s developmental readiness rather than birth date alone.
• From the 2027-28 academic year onward, all new registrations will follow the December 31 cut-off with no transitional flexibility.

What This Means for Great Minds ECC Families

As a Montessori nursery, readiness has always been at the heart of how we support children, our mixed-age classrooms are built around individual development, not a single cut-off date. In practice, this means the spirit of KHDA’s updated guidance is already familiar territory for us: age is one part of the picture, alongside social, emotional, and physical readiness.

If your child was born later in the year and you were previously told they’d need to wait an extra year to start, this change may open an earlier start date. If your child falls into the one-time transitional group born between September and December 2022, we’re happy to talk through what FS1 or FS2 would look like for them specifically.

Have Questions About Your Child’s Start Date?

Every family’s situation is a little different, especially during this transitional year. If you’d like to talk through what the new age cut-off means for your child, or you’d simply like to see our Montessori classrooms in person, we’d love to show you around.

Sources

KHDA guidance to Dubai schools and early childhood centres, issued 2026; UAE Ministry of Education / Education, Human Development and Community Development Council announcement, December 2025.